pampered cats

Nikki
Snoozing on two of Tori's pillows

Honey Bunny
Fell asleep watching me cut out
thread bobbins
(from card stock)

Tatting: Rings & Picot

My DS, Nick, gave me this
plastic storage container
for my tatting 'gear'

As I was out running errands
during the week,
I picked up crochet cottons
in size 3, 10, & 20

I had some size 80 --- not sure where they came from!

These are some rings I kept
(size 3)

This afternoon, I want to try using
size 10


Oh, the picot
Mine are odd & uneven
Still need practice
Two on top, size 3
Other ring, size 10

I will continue practicing
Harder for me to control my hands
when making the rings

Still isn't quite comfortable

As for books/instructions, I'm using
and
Learn to Tat by Janette Baker

Neither are as good as sitting next to
somebody who knows how to Tat!!

But, they have been helpful while I struggle at home : )

Tatting --- Lesson One

As I mentioned in previous blog posts, I've wanted to learn how to Tat for YEARS One afternoon, while visiting House of Stitches in LaPorte, Indiana I looked on a lower shelf --- I saw a basket of tatting shuttles & instruction books & pattern books Imagine my surprise! I never noticed them before & had been to the shop a number of times over 10+ years Then, was told the Owner, Linda, tats! Imagine my double surprise! And, she offered to show my GF Mel & I WOOT!!! Had my first instructions last Thursday and haven't been able to do anything else We got the basics of the chain, ring, & picot All my spare time has been spent perfecting my technique for chains --- trying different shuttles different crochet cotton fiber sizes (size 3 & size 10) And -- trying to get those knots more even!!! So far, I've used a variety of tatting shuttles They are so beautiful & comfortable to hold We learned the technique with the Tatsy (largest) shuttle Since then, I picked up a couple different styles to try I like the red Boye shuttle --The clover ones with tips are ok, too The silver one is a reproduction of a popular premium shuttle distributed by Nedlecraft Magazine publishers (Lacis) It is very comfortable to use! (IMO) At House of Stitches there were some smaller, plastic shuttles w/o points from Lacis I'm looking forward to trying them, too!! When I was looking around on-line I see a variety of styles & they are made out of bone, plastic, horn, silver, filigree, wood, etc. What fun! Next, I'm going to try & perfect my rings and rings with picot

Pink Artists

I am happy to accept these faces
from the Pink Artists Prize Wheel

Imagine my delight
being chosen among many entries for
Prize #2: Clay Face Cabochons by Linsart Creations in Clay

The detail and craftsmanship
are just awesome!

And, did you notice the
beautiful hand dyed ribbons?


They are a selection from
Pat Winter's
fantastic silk ribbons

If you haven't checked them out
Hurry over to her blog & etsy
for stash enhancing!!!

Punchneedle

Witch Hat
Lizzie Kate for Punch Needle
Halloween Hang-Ups

I've enjoyed punching
Maybe will get this finished into something before Saturday?

At the beginning of this year
I had a list of things I wanted to
learn or try

Punch Needle, Tatting, Doll Making, Ribbon Embroidery, Crazy Quilting

I've enjoyed spending time researching & learning new things!

I am grateful for friends
who have helped me with supplies
lessons, hints, tips
& encouragement

Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe: Freaky Friday Fun Giveaway, WK# 2

Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe:
Freaky Friday Fun Giveaway, WK# 2

Pink Artists Group

The Pink Artists in 2008 have raised just over $3,000 for Susan G Komen and the fight against breast cancer. We are doing it again!

Please consider a donation
by October 15th

Make out your money order* to
Susan G Komen for the cure
and mail it to:

Monica Magness
PO Box 2206
Madison, AL 35758

CLICK TO ENLARGE

You may have already
read the article
about the Pink Artist Group
in the Summer 2009
issue of
Art Quilting Studio


In the photograph above,
you can see
the square made & donated by Me!
(upper right)
Which was combined with
other squares to form one square of
a beautiful art quilt.
To see all the squares
in the quilt,
visit The Pink Artists 2009 Quilt
Flikr Account.

In addtion to the
2009 Pink Quilt
there is a
fantastic
Prize Wheel

The Prize Wheel makes up the art
being offered in 2009
in our art drawing
to raise even more funds for our chosen charity.

Please visit the art blog of Monica Magness
at www.girl-gone-thread-wild.blogspot.com for more information
and to learn how you too can get involved!

*pay pal option available, details
on
Monica's blog
Girl Gone Thread Wild

Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage

Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage

The Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois, 60603-6404

October 10, 2009–January 3, 2010

From the Web Site:
"Overview: Sixty years ahead of the avant-garde, aristocratic Victorian women were already experimenting with photocollage. The compositions they made with photographs and watercolors are whimsical and fantastical, combining human heads and animal bodies, placing people into imaginary landscapes, and morphing faces into common household objects. With sharp wit and dramatic shifts of scale akin to those Alice experienced in Wonderland, these images stand the rather serious conventions of photography in the 1860s and 1870s on their heads."

Celebrating the Day

Flowers from DH
celebrating our
Anniversary
Aren't they
lovely?